


show me a safe place

by MythologicalHoe



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Ben Solo has ADHD, Bullying, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Shyness, Soft boi Ben Solo, Talkative Ben Solo, Tutoring, shy rey
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-22
Updated: 2019-10-22
Packaged: 2020-12-29 09:54:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21138170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MythologicalHoe/pseuds/MythologicalHoe
Summary: Rey could usually say that she wasn't a judgmental person, but she could also say that she hated jocks with a passion. They were the reason most of the programs in the school were majorly defunded. In her mind, Ben Solo was the exact same as people like Armitage Hux. They were loud, caused a lot of distractions in class, and always got away with stuff. Hux gave shit to people and Ben watched him do it, especially when Hux bullied Rey. "You know, I still can't tell if you're a mute bitch or if you're actually just so pathetic that you don't actually want to talk around people."Rey knew that she should be used to bullying, but every god damned time it would stay in her head forever.





	show me a safe place

Benjamin Solo was failing chemistry, and it was all his fault. That didn't keep him from going to Luke after class and saying, "Really? A 'D'?" His uncle looked up at him and then went back to typing as people started filing out of class. "You really graded me harder on this paper than you do everyone else."

"Just because I don't give you preferential treatment doesn't mean that I grade you harder than I do anyone else, Ben." He sighed, turning back around. "You're slacking off in class,"

"I am not," He said, "your class is just really hard."

"The overall average of all of my classes says otherwise,"

"You won't even help me with homework when I ask for it! How am I supposed to get a passing grade when you won't help me? Mom's not good at Chemistry and neither is my dad. They couldn't teach me, even if they stayed around long enough to." Ben knew that his uncle wasn't going to care about this long winded explanation of why he was struggling in chemistry, but it made him feel better. That was, until someone else walked through the door. It was that quiet girl. Ben couldn't really remember her name, but they had a lot of classes together.

He was pretty sure the last time he had heard her talk aloud was in the third grade, and Hux had made fun of her for stuttering when the teacher had asked her a question. She reddened when she saw the two of them, and then her focus turned to his uncle. "Sorry, Mr. Skywalker. I was going to turn in my assignment. I'm sorry that it's late, I just..." She placed that paper in his turn in tray.

"You let her turn in stuff late, but you won't let your own nephew turn in stuff late?"

"Miss Niima has extenuating circumstances, and she's also got the second highest grade point average in the school, Ben. Of course I'm letting her turn stuff in late. Unlike you, who constantly forgets to do homework." Miss Niima... Oh, Rey. That was her name. Ben felt kind of bad for her as she was caught in this argument. "In fact, maybe it would do you some good to ask Miss Niima to tutor you, because I know for a fact that your grade in the class is going to bench you for practice."

"I-" The words died on Rey's lips, and she turned around and started to head out.

"Great," Ben said when she left, "you embarrassed her."

* * *

The next time Ben saw Rey, she was in the library during lunch. He had strayed from Hux and Mitaka to go talk to her. "Hey," She was sitting alone, reading some book that looked almost comically big for her hands. When he sat down next to her, she raised an eyebrow at him. As if him sitting next to her was the last thing that she expected him to do. "I wanted to come and apologize for my uncle,"

"'s okay," She said.

"He can be awful sometimes," Rey bit her lip, looking like she wanted to disagree with him. She didn't say anything. "I hope that he didn't embarrass you too much," She just repeated what she said again. The two of them sat in silence for a second. Ben just kind of took in her presence. Here was this cute girl with great brunette hair and glasses and the most adorable blush that he had ever seen, and part of Ben just got lost.

Then he remembered that he was still right next to her. "I didn't know that you have the second highest GPA in the whole school though. That's pretty cool."

"Not really," She was so quiet, Ben almost didn't hear her.

"No it is, being smart is pretty cool."

"Okay,"

God, she really didn't know how to carry on a conversation. Did she? Ben couldn't blame her, though. He talked so much that he was probably annoying her. "Um, I was actually going to ask you... You are really smart, and you're making the highest grade in Chemistry. Can you tutor me?" He was ready to beg if he had to.

"Er, uh-"

"I can pay you, if you want. Any price, I just really need a tutor because I am so stupid in that class. Please."

Another bout of silence.

Ben was afraid that she was going to say no. She only nodded, silently.

"You will,"

"Sure," She said. "For twelve dollars an hour,"

"That sounds fine with me. Can you start today?"

* * *

  
Rey wasn't sure why she said yes.

She never did anything like this, and she hated talking to people. But she also needed the money. Especially if Plutt was being serious about kicking her out by the time that she turned eighteen. She was already working a job as well, and minimum wage wasn't going to cut it.

"Can you start today?" He had asked her.

She wasn't working today.

"Sure," She said.

"If you can't, it's okay-"

"I can start today, Ben." She told him. She wasn't sure whether or not she should be annoyed by this.

"After school?" She nodded. Then he asked, "Could you come over to my house?"

* * *

Okay, maybe that was the wrong thing to ask. Rey looked like she was about to have a panic attack. "You don't have to, though. I just do better in quieter places."

"I don't have a car,"

"I can take you there, and then take you home. Does that work?"

"Sure," She said.

And so they had agreed to something that Ben wasn't really sure that Rey really wanted to be a part of. He kind of felt bad, thinking that he might have made her feel like she needed to do that because he had just gone out and asked her like that. But he still needed a tutor, so he was willing to do whatever.

* * *

The ride was silent.

He wished that he knew what to say, but for once he did it. He told her that he would talk to his mother about not being her usual self before going inside the car.

Rey sighed, and waited as Ben went inside to see his mother cleaning the kitchen absent mindedly. "Hey, Ben." She said. "How are you doing?"

"I'm good." He said. "Great. Uh," placing his backpack on the ground, "I found a tutor for chemistry."

"That's good,"

"She's here right now,"

"Oh really? Why didn't she come in?"

"She's uh, she's shy. So, please just... don't embarrass her. I'm not even sure she likes me that much but she's got the second highest GPA in school and I just really don't want this messed up, okay?"

"Okay, okay." Leia sighed. "How much are we paying this girl?"

"Twelve dollars an hour,"

"Make it fifteen an hour, Ben. You know that we can afford more. We'll pay her at the end of a two week period."

"Okay," He said. "Thank you, mom."

"No problem, baby."

* * *

Rey didn't remember ever being in a house so big, but here she was, in the Solo's house, and she wondered how many houses had both an upstairs and a basement. She didn't say anything as she went to the clean white counter island and put her bag down. Ben wanted to talk almost immediately but Rey waited patiently for exactly thirty seconds before saying, "Get out the most recent thing you failed and we'll go over it so you can work on redos."

It was three hours later that they had gotten four papers done and the most recent homework for Ben's class that Rey looked at the clock and said she had to go. She didn't want to make it look like she was worried, but she was. She shook her head a little when Ben asked her if she just wanted to hang out, and he took her home.

* * *

**A Week Later**

Rey could usually say that she wasn't a judgmental person, but she could also say that she hated jocks with a passion. They were the reason most of the programs in the school were majorly defunded. In her mind, Ben Solo was the exact same as people like Armitage Hux. They were loud, caused a lot of distractions in class, and always got away with stuff. Hux gave shit to people and Ben watched him do it, especially when Hux bullied Rey. "You know, I still can't tell if you're a mute bitch or if you're actually just so pathetic that you don't actually want to talk around people."

Rey knew that she should be used to bullying, but every god damned time it would stay in her head forever. "Why don't you want to be my friend?" Ben asked one day when the two of them were leaving class. Rey started to blush, despite herself.  
  
"I never said-"

"It's pretty obvious with the way you act," Ben said, "I've seen you with your friend, Rose? I think that's her name. You smile around her all time when she tells jokes and shit, but not when I try to make you laugh or when I'm nice to you. Why?"

"I... I..." Words died in her throat and she could feel tears start to burn her eyes. Confrontation was bad. This was uncomfortable.

"Shit, Rey. Don't do that." She turned away.

"I'll be in the library after school."

Ben watched her walk away even faster and he let her. "I'm a dumbass," He hissed under his breath.

* * *

When Rey and Ben met in the library, Rey just gestured to go out to Ben's car and Ben went with her without question. The two of them stayed silent until they got in the car. "Do you want to put something on?" He asked her. He gave her his phone and let her glide through Spotify. He could see her raising an eye at a few of the names of the playlists out of the corner of his eye, and pulled out of the parking lot. He remembered one of the playlists was called, 'songs rey probably listens to but idk'. Fuck, dumbass.

It was kind of obvious that she pressed play on that playlist, because the soft ukulele of a dodie song started to play through the speakers. He could see her start to blush as they rode in silence. Next Kailee Morgue, some Caitlyn Scarlett, a few other girl youtubers with ukulele. Some other stuff. "I do listen to some of these,"

"Thought so," He smirked and she got even pinker.

"You're great at guessing," She said.

"It's literally the only thing I'm good at," She didn't say anything to that. Probably because she didn't know what to say. When the two of them stopped in Ben's driveway, Rey asked another question.

"Why'd you make that playlist?"

"Because I thought you would like something to listen to in the car," He answered. It was a lie, but a more logical reason than the reason he had actually done it. What would she say if he said, 'I was actually thinking about you a lot and made a playlist to deal with the crippling feeling of loneliness I started to feel because you're too pretty for you're own good'.

"Oh," She said, "thanks I guess." She waited for him to turn and walk inside. God, it was so hard to read this girl. She barely ever said anything. The two of them went in and Ben was about to shoo his mother away when she immediately came up to Rey and said,

"Oh, hi there! You must be Ben's tutor Rey, it's so nice to meet you." Rey paled visibly and held out her hand to shake Leia's nodding. "You know you've already helped Ben get his grade up from an F to a D in chemistry, so I can tell he's improv-"

"Mom, please go."

"Right, sorry. Just wanted to know that you're appreciated." Their hands dropped and she went up the stairs quickly. The color came back to Rey's face as she moved back to the dinner table.

"Sorry about my mom." He said. "She's like that some times."

"'s okay," She said it almost so quietly that he didn't hear her.

He sat down next to her and then said again, "Why don't you like me?"

"Why do you insis-"

"It's a personal problem on my behalf," He said, "everyone likes me, except my uncle and my dad. So I have a problem that you don't,"

"I'm sure your dad and uncle like you,"

"Ha, that's funny. Now tell me, what can I do to get you to like me?"

"I don't know," Rey shrugged, "just .. bring me chocolate chip cookies tomorrow."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes,"

"You're on Niima, I'm going to make you my best friend by tomorrow."

"Okay," Rey said, she doubted that he would remember by tomorrow. She probably wouldn't even remember by tomorrow, but it got Ben to shut up and start doing his homework, which was a good thing.


End file.
